What is the best metal detector for me?

mrpaseo

A question that I am now trying to answer. As I find information, I will post it in this thread, hopefully this will not take to long. I am finding that there is no correct answer and everywhere I go, they all have different opinions as to what the best is.

I found this page interesting because it had information about metal detectors but did not try to sell you one. I would suggest that anyone new to the hobby read this page.

Link fixed

More to follow. Please add any recommendations below.

Ray

ricko

Ray, the link does not work. However, you will get all sorts of favorites when asking that question. The 'best' MD has a lot to do with what you want to use it for..... i.e. water, sand, wet sand, dirt, nuggets, caches....and on and on...If you can elaborate on what your interests are, we can better help you. There are specific application MD's and general purpose MD's...cheap one's and expensive one's... Let us know. Cheers, RickO

mrpaseo

<< <i>Ray, the link does not work. However, you will get all sorts of favorites when asking that question. The 'best' MD has a lot to do with what you want to use it for..... i.e. water, sand, wet sand, dirt, nuggets, caches....and on and on...If you can elaborate on what your interests are, we can better help you. There are specific application MD's and general purpose MD's...cheap one's and expensive one's... Let us know. Cheers, RickO >>



RickO, thanks for your input. Here is the rundown.


I had one many years ago (I'm not sure which one but it cost me about $250 dollars). I know I enjoy the hunt and I fully enjoy reading about the finds. The down side is I never really found the time to MD so I went out once or twice a year until my Uncle visited. He had more time on his hand and he enjoyed the adventure so I gave him my MD. Fast forward a few years and I will be leaving Active Duty service (Army) which may open up some free time. So there is the history, drive and reason I have not pursued the hobby.

Anticipating the future, I have started reading up more and researching the current model Metal Detectors. Oh boy... A few notes.

I'm trying to figure out the best source to receive unbiased advice. Most people have only one thought, they like or don't like their current model, or they have a few and they have a favorite from the few that they own. The down side is they usually have an "Older" model and a newer one which does not help in comparison much. Most websites are paid advertisers and they pump the product they were paid to pump. The review sites/magazines don't want to hurt any feelings so they don't compare MDers they just tell the characteristics of the particular detector that they are talking about and they don't identify the "best" MDer. That said, there are so many different variables when deciding which MDer to get, it's hard to sort it all out.

One question I always see is you have to determine what you will be looking for and where will you be looking for it.

Living in Tennessee (I'm hoping to stay but may be moving post military retirement) The dirt is brown, little to no clay, mild sand, no high salt areas. I do not foresee me on a beach but I don't want to deduct a lake or the occasional beach excursion. I hope to search for obviously modern coinage and jewelry but I dream of finding the silver and gold coinage of years gone by. I expect some shallow water detecting but no scuba detecting. I would love to eventually do some nugget detecting/gold panning in the future as well. I know that doesn't help narrow the search much...lol.

Where do I expect to be hunting? Well, parks, woods, rivers and lakes. I intend this to be a hobby/pass time, not competition. The belt that I am in is mild winters and summers, moderate humidity in the summer time.

I want to be careful not to purchase a discontinued/outdated MDer yet I don't want to top of the line $5,000 model either. I hear warranty is important too. My fear is I am duped into a model that has been replaced by new technology or one that the dealer can't move.

I am reading that there are a few different types and from what I can tell, the best all around MDer is a VLF/TR (Very Low Frequency/Transmitter-receiver). From that website: "VLF/TR usually indicates "mineral-free all metal" and, "mineral-free discriminate" operation".

As for cost... Well, I want to figure out which is best for me, then save up for it. I would hate to limit myself because of a few hundred dollars always wishing I got the next one up. That said, I could keep saying that all the way up to $5,000 plus from what I saw on line. I would like to keep it below a grand if that helps.

I hope this helps
Ray

AbesNeighbor

I just went through the same process and as Ricko says there is a lot of bias. I like the idea of having a detector with at least two frequencies and proven discrimination. I narrowed my interest to Garret and White.... I'm sure there are others just as good out there.

ricko

Abesneighbor has a good point... Garrett and Whites are great companies with the latest technology. My preference has been White's because of the great customer service they provide. I would recommend the site www.metaldetectingforum.com as a good place where the members are not overbearing and offer good advice. I personally like the White's V3i as an all around detector (and welll below $5000). It can be used on the beach, in shallow water, parks, nugget hunting etc etc...... Quite user friendly as well. I have friends who have other brands, but as stated, it seems Garrett is the best competition for White's.
There are those who will defend their brand to the death, that is not conducive to learning. You are right to be cautious, and beware the high pressure sales and know-it-all sales persons. Consult here and on the forum I mentioned above. There are other sources if you need them. Keep us posted, Cheers, RickO

pcgs69

A couple other companies to look at are Fisher and Minelab. When I was researching, I viewed lots and lots of Youtube videos to help with the search. Often times, there's videos comparing a couple of the models you're looking at.

As others have said, if you ask 10 people you'll get 10 different answers. Watch some videos on the different detectors in action. Then, make a choice and don't look back!

goldrush00013

Thats a good question thats tough to answer when you are just starting. I went through a number of detectors before I figured out what worked best for me. Ultimately every machine I owned did the job well because I put in the hours and learned them front and back. When I started I was using a second hand Whites Classic III SL. (Used it today when I took the kids out for their first outing) It is a simple beep and dig machine that has served me well. I then got my hands on a top of the line Garrett 2500 GTI. It had all the bells and whistles and a huge learning curve that took a couple years to master. During my ownership of that machine my hunting changed from coinshooter to relic hunter. I went from reading the digital display hunting in discrimination mode to hunting in all metal concentrating on the sound without even giving the display a look and digging everything. My eyes became the discriminator. Most people refuse to dig as much trash as I tend to. Always have that curiosity of whats down there?
I traded that machine to Lord Marcovan for a Tesoro Tejon as the Garrett became too cumbersome to swing for hours on end and I no longer saw the need for a display screen if I was just digging it all. Got a cool shirt one Christmas that says Cleaning up Mother Earth one pulltab at a time. LOL! The Tejon is awesome and sniffed out some cool stuff for me. It has amazing depth and a great discriminator if I need it.
I then went with the Minelab Sovereign and enjoyed its multi tone language. It also allowed me to strap the control housing to my belt and swing a very light rod with coil. My elbow enjoyed the light rig but I didnt care for being tethered with a cord that I sometimes tripped over. Plus I wasnt getting the depth that the Tejon was giving me.
I then purchased a Fisher F75 because of the stories of the incredible depth it gets. Its a bells and whistles machine and MAY get a little more depth than my Tejon but it weighs 3.5 lbs and limits my hrs of swinging. I sold it and bought a Tesoro Vaquero which is almost the same machine as the Tejon but is 3/4 of a pound lighter. Its just as deep as the Tejon and is now my primary machine. It cost $420 and pretty much lays to waste every $1000 machine I have ever owned. It has become the machine that works best for me.
I am sure my ranting has not helped you at all Ray! Just my 2¢.
John